Type 10: Ornate double-sided

Type 10 constitutes a distinctive group of well-manufactured, ornate double-sided combs with flat or shallow plano-convex connecting plates, and differentiated teeth (i.e. the sets of teeth along the two edges of the comb are of different gauges). They may feature complex zoomorphic or geometric ornament, and their endplates are ornately finished, often with a distinctive denticulate profile. Like Type 1a, Type 10 combs are not considered in detail here, as they pre-date the Viking Age, being known primarily from Late Roman and sub-Roman contexts in the British Isles and northern Europe. However, while they were originally thought of as 'type-fossils' of the 4th century, it is becoming increasingly clear that they were remarkably persistent in some areas of the UK and Europe, and they doubtless provided the template for Types 11 and 12.